Afterthought
by BookMage7
Summary: They were perfect opposites. Marion wanted nothing more than a normal, drab life on the Village Bridge. Will was a prodigy trainer, ready to begin his adventure to become the Champion of the Unova Region. With Will leaving to pursue his dream, the two promise to remain close. However, as time passes, Marion realizes that she's becoming nothing but an afterthought to him...
1. 01: Promises

Marion was never meant for greatness.

It was a sad thought, but true. She lacked any sort of battling or performance skills that would be required to be a trainer or coordinator of the highest caliber.

Even with any notion of greatness in that regard extinguished, she found comfort in knowing that she was good at something different, something that didn't require battling or performing- baking.

A ding on the timer alerted Marion that her pastries were done. She jumped from the chair she was sitting on, her dog-eared romance novel left forgotten as she ran to the stove. Slipping on her green-gingham oven mitts, Marion opened the stove, pulling out the rack of cookies. The sweet aroma of chocolate filled her nostrils, and Marion let out a contented sigh.

At the sound of the baking sheet being pulled out of the oven, a yellow and black pokémon soared into the kitchen, a matching gingham apron tied around her. She gracefully touched down on the counter next to Marion, looking at her with pleading eyes.

Marion gave her emolga a quick pat with oven mitts. "Not yet Emilie! I know you're excited, but we have to wait until they cool off!"

Emilie gave a dramatic sigh, her gaze fixed on the chocolate-chip cookies. At the sound of the noise coming from the kitchen, Marion's second partner had come floating into the kitchen, his blank white eyes looking at the finished sweets. He resembled a drop of cream, his body a golden yellow. He turned to Marion, a pleading look in his eyes.

"Not you too Andres..." Marion sighed. "Recall, patience is a virtue."

Still, as Marion looked at the cookies, she too had to remind herself not to dig in. The cookies did look scrumptious, but she knew better. The last time, she'd burnt the roof of her mouth in her haste to test out her macaron recipe. She had learned her lesson from that one, with her mouth being filled with an awful chalky feeling for days.

Marion returned to her wooden chair at the table, picking the romance novel back up. She flipped to her bookmark, and returned to the spot she was reading before the timer went off.

In the midst of a rather dramatic part, the door to the bakery suddenly burst open, and Marion didn't bother looking up from her book to see who it was. Only one boy out of the entire population of Village Bridge entered so brashly.

"You're going to destroy our door at this rate," Marion scolded. "Show some restraint, Will."

Will's sheepish laughs filled the air as he set down his backpack. "Sorry Marion! I've got something really exciting to show you!"

Marion closed her book, and looked up at him. "Oh? And what is that?"

Will smiled, his bright blue eyes shining. He pulled a letter out from behind his back. "Look at this!"

Marion took the letter from him, taking a moment to examine the red seal on the front. The design was one of a large arch, surrounded by five symbols, each one representing the Elite Four and Champion. Everyone who lived in Unova knew exactly what that seal meant.

_No... It couldn't be..._

The top of the envelope had already been hastily torn open, so Marion shook the contents in her hand. A small plastic card stared back at her, emblazoned with a picture of Will's grinning face and messy bright green hair. On it was his full name, birth date, date received, and of course occupation: Pokémon Trainer.

"Your Trainer ID..." Marion breathed. "Oh Will, it finally came!"

Will grabbed her hands, and spun her around. "I know right?! I can finally start my journey for real now!

He stopped dead in his tracks, sniffing the air. "Ooh! Are those some of your cookies?!"

"Yep!" Marion hummed, running over the kitchen. The cookies were still a tad hot, but they wouldn't be giving anyone burns. "To you getting your trainer license!"

She offered him the tray with flourish, and Will snatched two cookies off the tray, shoving them into his mouth. Emilie and Andres wandered over, and grabbed some as well. Will took a seat at one of the wooden tables, releasing his braviary so he could be fed too.

"This all so exciting!" Will laughed. "I've been waiting so long for this, and it finally came! I'm gonna be the next Unova Champion baby!"

"Let's not get too ahead of ourselves!" Marion teased. "You've got to beat the gym leaders after all. Where are you going first?"

"Definitely Opelucid," Will answered between bites. "Head east to Mistralton... Maybe take the Clay Tunnel to Castelia so I can catch a boat to Virbank and Aspertia... Or should I go to Nimbasa first...?"

"I'm sure you'll figure it out," Marion said. "What's an adventure without some spontaneous planning?"

"That reminds me," Will drawled. "You sure you don't want to come with me? It'll be more fun with you there."

Marion shook her head. "Sorry Will. With Mom gone, Dad needs as much help as he can get. Besides, I'd just slow you down. I don't know the first thing about traveling."

What she didn't tell him was that everytime she thought of leaving Village Bridge, the sickening feeling of anxiety filled her stomach. Thoughts about everything that could go wrong filled her brain, and how she would mess everything up there.

"I don't care how slow I'd be I was with you..." Will mumbled.

"Eh?" Marion said. "What'd you say?"

"Nothing!" Will said quickly. "I understand why you can't come. I'll miss you though."

"We can chat every night," Marion promised. "And remember, if you're ever in a tough spot, me and everyone else will be here at Village Bridge."

Will gave her an easy grin. "I know. Braviary, Azumarill and I can't wait to make a name for ourselves out there! When we become Champions, we'll be sure to promote the Mitford Bakery to hell and back!"

"You don't have to do that!" Marion insisted. "Really, all I really want is for the two of us to be friends still, even if you're gone!"

Will smiled at her, and held out his hand. "Of course we'll always remain friends! I'll never leave you behind the dust!"

Marion pushed her worries to the back of her mind, and shook Will's hand.

_Right. We'll always be friends, even if Will is gone on his journey. Nothing will tear us apart, ever._

* * *

"You better not get hurt on your journey."

Marion jabbed Will's forehead with her nail as she spoke those words, a serious expression painting her face. Will rubbed his forehead, before giving her his signature grin.

"No worries Marion!" he assured. "I've got Braviary and Azumarill by my side. What could possibly go wrong?"

"A whole slew of things!" Marion protested. "Falling off cliffs, drowning, attacks by wild pokémon... There's a reason why you have to be so old to get a trainer license now!"

"I didn't know you cared so deeply for me," Will teased. "I'm flattered."

Marion's cheeks flushed bright red, and she shoved a bag of treats in his direction. "Dammit Will! It's called being worried for those with no self-preservation skills! Just try to be safe for once!"

"Well, I can't promise that," Will said, taking the bag from her. "I'll try my best though. It'd be a shame if I died before becoming Champion."

A woman's voice drifted from the living room. "You ready to go Will? You sure you haven't forgotten anything?"

"I've got it all Mom!" Will shouted back. He turned back to Marion, and gave her a bone-crushing hug. "I'll miss you on my journey. Have a good time here, okay?"

Marion nodded, wrapping her arms tightly around him. "I'll miss you too. I'll call every night."

"I'll do the same!"

From there, everything felt like a blur to Marion. Will said his farewells to his parents and Marion's father. He waved goodbye to all of them as he disappeared past the gate, Braviary and Azumarill by his side. Village Bridge had lost a member of it's close-knit group.

Will was gone.

* * *

The first few weeks after Will left were odd to Marion. He was once an ever-present piece of her life, and now they could only call and video chat with each other.

It wasn't bad, and their friendship was still as strong as ever. It was just different to Marion, who had fallen into a routine of slow life at the Village Bridge. Meanwhile, Will was constantly on the move all over the place, training and battling.

"...And then, I smacked into the wall because I couldn't get behind one of the barriers in time!" Will finished. "Skyla was a piece of cake with my new Zebstrika though!"

Marion nodded, entranced by the gleaming blue badge in Will's green case. Beside it was a black and red badge, the one given out by Draydon. "Congrats Will! It sounds like you're doing amazing so far!"

Will scratched his head, an embarrassed smile on his face. "Well, I had some motivation. I didn't want a repeat of Drayden. Losing five times in a row to him was pretty humiliating."

"Well, Drayden's been a gym leader for a long time," Marion assured. "He's got a lot of experience under his belt."

"Yeah..." Will admitted. "On the other hand, I've got a rival!"

"A rival?" Marion said she raised an eyebrow. "You're really going for the classic trainer archetype, aren't you?"

"It was by accident! I was training for the gym in Celestial Tower, and I ran into this girl at the top. She was training too, and we got into an argument..."

"And you settled it the only way trainers like you can." Marion finished.

"You read my mind!" Will laughed. "She was a strong trainer. I just barely won. Afterwards, we deemed each other rivals!"

"Really?" Marion said. Knowing Will, the girl didn't have a choice in that matter. "What's her name?"

"She's called Lydia!" Will hummed. "She's kind of mean, but I'm sure she'll be an amazing motivator for me.

His eyes sparkled as he made waving motions with his hands. "It's weird, you know? The adrenaline rush, the fact that it's insanely difficult to come up with a strategy against them on the spot...

Will fell back onto the chair behind him. "It's incredible."

"Well, that battle certainly invoked some strong emotions in you," Marion deadpanned. "You're pumped aren't you?"

"Yeah. I have no idea how I'm going to sleep like this," Will admitted. "You always do a great job calming me down though. I appreciate it a lot."

"One of us has to be the voice of reason," Marion replied, "I've got to head to bed. It's been good talking to you!"

"Bye!"

* * *

"You've been a bit quiet lately."

Marion looked up from the mound of pastry dough she was rolling out to face her father. "It's more that Will's left home. He was always the one making the racket."

"Hm? I seem to recall both of you screaming at the top of your lungs as you lobbed frosting at each other that one time," Alan laughed. "Took forever to clean that off the walls. You two were inseparable."

"Fair enough," Marion admitted. "But you do know there's not any other kids my age here. Will was the one person I could relate to."

Alan nodded. "I'll admit it, I was surprised when you didn't leave to go with him."

Marion looked down at the pastry dough. "I was never interested in battling or going on an adventure. That was Will's dream. Besides, I want to help out around the bakery."

Alan didn't look convinced by her answer. "I don't know. You used to rave about traveling around Unova as a child."

"People change." Marion said shortly. "Just because I wanted to travel as a child doesn't mean I want to do it now."

"Fair enough," Alan said. "I just thought that'd you'd like it, with you teenagers being obsessed with seeing the world these days."

Marion bit back a comment about how, if anything, teenagers traveled even more back in his day when trainer laws were far looser. She knew the stories about him and her mother backpacking around Hoenn for weeks. Or the time the two of them toured every major sweet shop in Unova to scope out their competition before deciding to settle in Village Bridge.

How was she supposed to explain to them that the idea of leaving home for God knows how long made her feel absolutely terrified? She didn't care if everyone her age wanted to travel. She was happy exactly where she was.

She didn't need an adventure, and that was that.


	2. 02: Connections

Marion clicked her nails against her mahogany desk, flipping through the textbook she'd found in her father's bookshelf. It was filled with pictures of every pokémon from Galar, likely stored from his old trainer days before he met Mom.

Most of the pokémon were unavailable to catch here, but that wasn't what Marion was looking for. What she was looking for was a certain page on Milcery, and how they evolved. Her father had mentioned offhandedly once that Andres would be able to evolve, and Marion was curious about what he would look like.

She shot a cursory glance at the clock before she sped up her pace. It was the middle of break, and there wasn't much time before she had to head back to work. The others would surely be expecting her soon.

Finally, she found the correct page. Depicted on it was not only a Milcery, but it's evolution, Alcreamie. Marion cooed at the picture of Alcreamie, admiring the elegant design. Andres could become that someday.

Speaking of which...

Marion turned her head to where Andres. He was in the midst of poking through a stack of books by her small bed, looking for a comic book. Kicking off the wall, Marion skidded across her floor on her rolling chair until she came to a stop next to Andres.

"Alright Andres, according to this book, you need something called a 'Sweet' in order to evolve." Marion explained.

Andres looked over her shoulder at the book. Next to the picture of Alcreamie, there were seven pictures of the various Sweets they would need to evolve. Beside each picture was a footnote on where they could be obtained.

"It looks like you can only find Sweets in Galar at the moment," Marion said. "I suppose it makes sense, seeing that Alcreamie lives there exclusively.

She tapped her temple, and tilted her head. "You think it would be rude to ask Uncle Aaron to send me a Sweet from there? He already gifted me you for my birthday last year.

Andres shrugged, and Marion sighed. "Good point. I can just order one from the internet. Which one do you like the best? The star and ribbon seem hard to find, but the other five are quite common."

She placed the book on her desk, allowing Andres to examine the pages. He appeared to have as much trouble as she did. After awhile, he shrugged his shoulders. Marion sighed. Emilie was still helping her father with delivering orders, so it was time for Plan B.

Marion grabbed some scrap paper from her desk. She quickly scratched some names down, creating a spinner with five sections. After that, she grabbed a paper clip.

"Time to let fate decide," she joked, spinning the paper clip around.

The paper clip slowed quickly, and came to a stop on the side with the words 'STRAWBERRY SWEET.'

"Well then, Lady Luck has made her choice," Marion said. "Strawberry Sweet it is. Glad that's over. I hate decisions.

Andres let out a weak laugh, prompting Marion to look at him. "What's wrong Andres?"

He held up the textbook, pointing to a different page. This was one filled with Alcreamie in all sorts of colours. Some had gradients with bright colours, while others were barely tinted a pastel shade.

"Yikes," Marion sighed. "As if we didn't have enough trouble deciding which Sweet to even get. I just assumed that there was only the Vanilla Form like the one Uncle Aaron has.

She slumped down onto her chair again. "How the heck are we going to choose?"

Andres didn't have an answer for that. He sat down on Marion's lap, holding his hand to his chin. Marion sat for a bit, watching the clock's hands move. She'd have to come to a decision before her break was over.

An idea sprung into her mind, and she snapped her fingers. "I know! We'll call Will!"

After grabbing her X-Transceiver, Marion quickly dialed Will's phone number, only for it to ring to voicemail. Marion frowned.

"Right, it's not that late there. He's probably still on the road.

She shrugged. "I'll just call him later. I've gotta get back to work anyways."

* * *

"Marion! I'm sorry for missing your call earlier!"

Marion rubbed her forehead. Work was finally over for the day, and she was in the middle of doing some work when he dialed her for a video chat. "It's fine Wi- What the hell happened to your face?"

Will's looked away, his cheeks pinking under the numerous neon blue bandages covering his face. "I accidentally fell down a hill or two during a battle with Lydia."

"How do you accidentally fall down a hill or two?" Marion said. "You're usually quite coordinated, no?"

Will's voice was barely above a whisper. "I got blasted by a Hydro Pump from Lydia's Samurott."

Marion was silent for a few moments, before she shrieked, "You got WHAT?!"

"It was an accident! She meant to aim for my Braviary! Both Lydia and her Samurott apologized afterwards! She even patched me up!" Will deflected, waving both his hands. "Really, I'm perfectly fine!"

"If you say so," Marion muttered, "I've got a question for you."

"Eh? What is it?"

Marion pulled out her book, shoving it in front of the camera. "Which one looks the best to you? Between Andres and I, we can't decide. Emilie had trouble choosing too."

"Lemme see... It's kinda blurry from here..." Will muttered. "Wow, that's a lot of forms! Do they affect how Andres can battle?"

"No, it's purely aesthetic," Marion explained. "I guess there is the gigantimax form, but that only works in Galar, with those trainers who have Dynamax Bands or something."

"I don't know then," Will said, looking at the book closely. "How about Caramel Swirl? Looks nice to me."

Marion pulled the book back from the camera, looking at the form. "Sounds good. What do you think Andres?"

Andres took a look at the page, and nodded. Marion smiled. "It's a plan. Thanks Will!"

"No problem!"

* * *

Marion was in the middle of ringing up a customer when her X-transceiver buzzed in her pocket. She let out a squeak, eliciting an odd look from the customer. Marion gave him her best customer service smile, and stuffed a handful of change into his hands.

After he left, Marion tapped her co-worker, Erica, on the shoulder. "Could you run the counter for a sec? I need to use the washroom."

Erica's eyes fell on the buzzing X-transceiver in her bag, and gave Marion a knowing look.

"I'll be back in five minutes." Marion promised.

Erica smiled, wiggling her eyebrows before she took over the register. Marion grinned, and hurried to the bathroom. Sitting down on the closed toilet lid, Marion pulled her X-transceiver out of her pocket, tapping the call button. Will's face appeared on the screen.

His face furrowed in confusion. "Marion, why are you in your bathroom?"

"Because you called me right when I was working, you idiot!" Marion answered.

Will winced. "Oh, oops. Sorry about that. Quick talk then?"

"Yeah. I can probably stay here for five minutes, top." Marion sighed, taking her plastic gloves off and throwing them into the trash beside her. She'd have to get new ones when she went back to work. "Good news for you, we were in a lull."

"In the summer?" Will said, "Likely story."

"Okay, we were a bit busy," Marion admitted, "How's the gyms going? Fifth badge, right?"

"Yup! Roxie's going to be a tough one," Will said, "I have Excadrill, but I don't think he'll be enough. So it's back to training!"

"Sounds good," Marion replied, "I presume Cheren is after her?"

Will nodded. "I'm looking forward to that one. I'll be battling one of the Pokédex Holders themselves!"

"Will, almost every trainer has a Pokédex these days. You have a Pokédex." Marion said.

'"You know what I'm referring to!" Will protested. "He was an important part of modern Unovan history!"

"Fair enough," Marion said. "Say though you don't hear about Pokédex Holders much these days."

"Well, it has been awhile since they were in action. Ten years or something, right? After that weird incident in Kanto-Johto?" Will said.

"Yeah, I think so. Can't remember it too clearly. After all, I was six," Marion replied. "I suppose after cleaning up the world's messes for the thousandth time, they'd finally had enough."

"Maybe I'll ask Cheren after I get his badge."

"You sure that's a good idea? Seems like a sensitive piece of information."

"It'll be fiiinnnneeee. Besides, don't you have to get back to work?"

"Good point. It's been fun talking!"

Marion ended the call, and quickly washed her hands. After snapping on a new pair of plastic gloves, she ran back out to the storefront, ready to deliver more orders. Alan gave her a knowing look, and Marion's cheeks flushed. She ducked her head down, quickly getting back to work.

* * *

"Hey Andres! The package finally came!"

Andres bobbed over to Marion, and excited look on his face. Marion grinned, and opened the cardboard box containing the Sweet. It had taken a few weeks of saving to purchase it, but it was all worth it to Marion when she saw the excited look on Andres face. Emilie flew over, curious to see what was going on.

Marion carefully pulled the cloth-wrapped Sweet out, being sure not to damage it in any way. She placed it into Andres' hands, and grabbed the textbook from her desk. Flipping through the pages, Marion stopped on the one she was looking for.

"Here! It says you have to spin clockwise for over five seconds," Marion explained. She raised an eyebrow. "Only during the day too.

She shot a quick glance out the window. "It should be fine. Do you want to do it right now?"

Andres nodded in excitement, and three of them ran out of the bakery. It was still bright outside, with a few people milling about. Marion and her partners ran down to the bottom of the bridge, where there were less people. All of them tried a few practice spins without the Sweet, before they were sure they could do it.

With the Sweet held tightly in his hands, Andres began spinning a circle. Marion followed suit, trying her best not to get dizzy. After what felt like long enough, they came to a stop, throwing one hand in the air like they had seen the trainer in the tutorial do. As soon as they did that, Andres began to glow a bright white, the blinding light engulfing their vision.

Once the light faded, a light brown pokémon stood before them, his body looking like it was made of layers upon layers of whipped cream. Two red, strawberry shaped barrettes were attached to the top of his head. Marion clapped her hands together, and Emilie followed suit.

"It worked!"

* * *

Marion was dead tired.

After waking up early to help make pastries, and then running the store all day, Marion was ready to check out for the evening. Her feet felt like we're being stabbed with every step, and her back ached from being hunched over all day.

Marion opened the door to her room, careful not to disturb Emilie, who was trying to sleep. After navigating through her messy floors, Marion took off her apron, and flung it onto the bed.

She slumped onto her computer chair, spinning to face her sticker-covered laptop. She quickly pulled up the video chat app she had stored, sending a call to Will. Soon enough, his smiling face appeared on the screen. As soon as he saw her, his grin widened.

"There's a bunch of flour on your face," Will laughed. "Nice look!"

Marion rubbed her cheeks, finding that it was covered in white powder. "Dammit. Oh well. How's Nimbasa going?"

"I'm gonna battle Elesa tomorrow!" Will said. "I spent most of today training."

"Did you get to go on the Ferris Wheel?" Marion asked. "I've always wanted to go on it."

"Yeah, I did..." Will mumbled. He scratched his cheek, his face flushing pink. "Lydia ended up joining me there."

"How did that happen?" Marion said. "Don't you two hate each other's guts?"

"I wouldn't say hate..." Will muttered. "More mutual dislike. It was a complete accident anyways. We were practically shoved in there by her younger brother."

"Was it awkward?" Marion asked.

"Kinda," Will replied. "It turns out she's afraid of heights, so it got kind of awkward. I managed to distract her though..."

He trailed off, averting his blue eyes from the camera. His cheeks were red, and he scratched his head. Marion felt the smallest stir of jealousy inside her at his embarrassed reaction. Whatever was going on between Will and his rival was clearly _something_. Marion brushed that feeling off. It was probably nothing.

"Well, it sounds like you had a good time." Marion said evenly.

Will nodded. "Yeah, it was good. We parted ways afterwards, even though her brother tried to make me come for dinner. Tricky little bugger that boy is.

He stretched his arms. "Regardless, today was good. How was yours?"

"The usual," Marion said. "With it being mid-fall and all, the tourist season has tapered off. Dad and I have enough money saved to keep us through winter, and we do have the regulars."

"Once I become Champion, it'll be busy year round!" Will proclaimed.

"I suppose you're right," Marion said. "That kind of stuff'll draw in customers. Two more badges to go, correct?"

"Yep. Just Elesa and Marlon left," Will replied. "Then, Victory Road, the Elite Four and Iris."

"That'll be tough, won't it?" Marion said. "All of those trainers... How's your team?"

"Well, Braviary is as great ever," Will laughed. "He'll be my ace for sure. Then there's Excadrill and Gothitelle. Zebstrika and Azumarill too. Maybe I'll catch one more."

"Sounds good to me," Marion replied. "I should be getting to bed. It's late here. Good night!"

"Night!"

* * *

"Marion, I've got an order for you!"

Marion looked up from the till she was managing to see her father holding a bag of pastries. "For who?"

"I need you to bring these to Will's parents," Alan said. "It's a last minute thing. Very important. Erica can handle the till while you're gone. Take Emilie and Andres too, alright?"

"Okay?" Marion said, drawing the word out. "I'm kinda confused, but alright."

She grabbed the bag from him, and dodged a customer or two as she ran out of the bakery, her partners tailing her. It was midday in Village Bridge, the sun shining bright in the crisp air. Even during winter, there were small groups of tourists milling around, admiring the frozen lake below the bridge. The ever familiar-sound of the singing quartet filled the air.

Marion dodged a pack of yelling children as she walked down the stone stairs towards Will's house, almost losing her footing on a patch of ice. She breathed a sigh of relief when Andres steadied her. She gave him a quick pat on the head as thanks. Once reaching Will's house, Marion opened the door, the bell above it ringing as she did so.

The inside of the store was filled with toys and souvenirs, with Mrs. Fleur in the center of it all. tending to some customers. When she saw Marion, she gave her a wave, brushing a strand of green hair behind her ear. She ushered the customers out of the store once she was done ringing up their orders, and flipped the sign in the front from 'OPEN' to 'CLOSED.'

"There you are Marion!" she said, "Come with me to the back."

She grabbed Marion's hand, and led past a heavy wooden door that led to the living quarters of the Fleur family. Marion sat down on one of the blue couches, and Mr. Fleur poured her a cup of tea. Finally, Mr. and Mrs. Fleur took a seat on the couch across from Marion, and stared at her.

"So uh, how are things you?" Marion mumbled.

"Can't we just meet a family friend once in awhile?" Mrs. Fleur asked.

"You didn't invite my father though," Marion muttered. "This whole thing feels off to me."

Mr. and Mrs. Fleur exchanged a look, and Marion's stomach turned.

Mrs. Fleur turned back to her, a fake smile on her face. "We wanted to talk to you about your and Will's relationship!"

"...Ehhh!?"

"That's right!" Mr. Fleur said, shooting his wife a look. "Lily and I wanted to discuss that very much!"

"Me and Will are just friends," Marion said uneasily. "Nothing more."

Mrs. Fleur smiled. "Oh, okay! Will's always talking about you when he called. We were just wondering if you two had anything going on."

_Something weird is definitely happening. They're stalling._

As much as Marion wanted to leave this delightfully awkward conversation, that wasn't an option. Already, she could feel anxiety building up in her, wondering what Mr. and Mrs. Fleur really wanted to talk to her about.

"If that's all then," Marion said. "I should really get going-"

" No!" Mr. Fleur shouted. "You can't leave yet!"

"...Why?" Marion said. "Is there something you two need to tell me?"

"We need to..." Mrs. Fleur said, drawing the final word out. Her eyes fell on the bag in Marion's hand. "We need to talk about those sweets!"

"What?"

"That's right!" Mr. Fleur said. "What exactly are they?"

"They're a couple Pecha tarts," Marion said. "You ordered them, remember!"

"Of course!" Mr. Fleur yelled.

He glanced at the clock, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple. Mrs. Fleur kept on shooting looks towards the front door. Marion's stared down at the floor, tapping her feet. They were clearly waiting for something, and were trying to hide it from her.

_At least I now know where Will gets his lack of tact from._

The front door burst open, and Will stumbled into the room. He was wearing a bright blue winter coat with jeans and boots, a knit cap messily pulled over his green locks. Five poke balls were attached to the straps of the backpack on his shoulders.

"I'm here!" he yelled. "Nice to see you guys again!"

"Will!" Marion shouted, getting up from her seat.

Will gave her a grin. "Hey Marion! Bet ya didn't-"

He was cut off by Marion throwing him into a tight hug. They almost fell to the ground, but Will managed to anchor himself.

"Didn't know you missed me so much!" Will teased. "I came back to visit before I went to Humaliu to beat Marlon!"

"Well, it's almost been a year since I've seen you in person!" Marion shot back. "How long are you going to stay?"

"Just for the night," Will replied. "I don't want Lydia to get ahead of me!"

"Of course you don't," Marion laughed. "I'm guessing this is why your parents wanted me to stay so long!"

"Did they weird you out?" Will sighed.

Marion nodded, and Mrs. Fleur let out a weak laugh. They swept both Marion and Will into an even larger hug.

"We're just glad you decided to stop by," Mr. Fleur chuckled. "How about we settle down for some sweets?"

Will nodded excitedly, and Marion let out another laugh. "I've got to show you Andres too! He looks even cooler in person!"

She stepped to the side, allowing him to see Andres. Will clapped. "Nice! I'm glad you took my suggestion!

After peeling off his winter clothes, he launched himself onto the couch. "Whew, it's nice to be home, even for just a bit! Nothing has changed, apart from Andres."

He rolled onto his side, releasing Braviary and Azumarill. As soon as they flew out, they ran up to Emilie and Andres, greeting them.

"So Will, how's your adventure been going?" Mr. Fleur laughed.

With that, Will launched into a long-winded explanation about every little thing he had experienced over the last eleven months. He rambled on about his rivalry with Lydia, and how he had caught all the members of his team. Halfway through, Alan came over, more sweets in hand. Will had practically launched himself at him.

During all this, Marion sat next to Will, relishing every moment she had with him. The morning, he was gone, ready to begin the final leg of his journey.

* * *

_The day has finally come..._

Marion looked up from the till again, watching the small television in the corner for any news. Will would be in the Elite Four chambers right now, taking all four of them one by one. If he succeeded, he'd go on to Champion Iris, and challenge her for the title.

"Excuse me Miss, I want some change!"

Marion turned back to the customer, counting out some change. "My apologies sir! Right away!"

The customer rolled his eyes. There was a large camera strewn over his neck, and he wore a visor on his head. He shot a glance at the television, and let out a chuckle.

"Not sure why you're so excited about that match. He'll lose. All of them do against Iris," he laughed.

"Well, anything can happen sir!" Marion replied brightly, giving him her best customer-service smile.

"With a shrimpy kid like that?" the customer scoffed. "I'd be surprised if he even made it past the first Elite Four."

"We shouldn't base our expectations on how they look," Marion said, her smile beginning to tighten. "Iris is quite young, no? And didn't Hilbert and Rosa become Champion when they were each fifteen?"

"They were exceptions," the tourist muttered. "Besides, if you ask me, those Pokédex Holders were whack."

Marion clenched her fists. "Well, here's your change sir. Have a nice day."

As he left, Marion took a moment to take a deep breath. Will had been training for ages. He would win for sure, wouldn't he?

* * *

"I lost."

Will's dry voice came from the speakers of the laptop which confirmed the sinking feeling Marion had in her stomach. She'd suspected he hadn't won due to lack of fanfare, but to hear it verified was still disappointing.

"Oh…!" she stuttered, "Well, that's only once! Everyone has losses!"

"But if Lydia beats the Champion before me, it's all over," Will grumbled, "Add in the fact that Iris is one of the most powerful trainers in the region, it's clear I'm screwed."

"It could've been worse?" Marion offered, "At least Rosa isn't Champion anymore?"

"Iris isn't much easier," Will mumbled.

"Well, don't give up!" Marion encouraged. "I, and everyone else in Village Bridge, believes in you!"

Will gave her a genuine smile. "Thanks Marion."

Marion continued, "No matter if you're Champion or not, I'll always look up to you!

She trailed off, her cheeks turning bright red. "Besides, you'll always be the Champion in my heart."

"O-oh!" Will stuttered. "Well, uh, I, er... I need to train. Thanks for the encouragement."

The call ended, and Marion bashed her head against the desk.

* * *

"Here you go sir, one slice of oran berry pie."

Marion sent the plate down the customers table, before hurrying to the next table. She was delivering orders today, so she was constantly running all over the place. Her feet were already aching in her flats. It was hot in the store too from the ovens, and Marion was sweating in her cardigan and dress.

Every now and then, she'd send cursory glances to the television. It was a month since Will had lost the first time, and according to his words, Lydia was having trouble with Iris as well. He was currently going for round two, and should be battling Iris at the moment.

For some odd reason, she felt nervous every time she thought about the battle. She wasn't even the one battling, yet a cold pit was buried in her whenever she looked at the television.

Erica gave her some more sweets to deliver, and Marion hurriedly ran around the bakery to the numerous tables. A aguav tart for Mr. Sharp, a slice of chocolate cake for one of the children, a cup of tea for the sweet old lady who came in every day... Her brain felt like it was mush from remembering all the orders she had to keep straight. She hurried back to the counter, and sent a quick glance to the television.

The empty tray she was holding clattered to the ground with a crash, causing customers to turn at the source of the noise. The room fell dead silent as they stared at the television, which had a single bright red headline blazing across it.

_Champion Iris Drago defeated by Challenger Will Fleur._


	3. 03: Forgotten

Things changed after Will became Champion. Marion knew that life wouldn't be exactly the same, but she hadn't expected what was going to happen.

Immediately after his win, Will was swamped with dozens of interviews. He talked about everything in them, from his early life to his plans for the future. The television in the store was constantly kept on, so customers (and Marion) could watch it all times. He was going to be staying at the League for a bit, but Marion wanted to send her congratulations.

She rubbed some sleep out of her eyes, wrapping a glossy red ribbon around the package in front of her. It was late, and she was going to have to get up early the next morning to work more.

Inside the package was Will's favourite cookies. Mr. and Mrs. Fleur were going to visit him at the League, and they promised they'd deliver them right away.

She herself ached to do nothing more than go visit him, but Village Bridge was swamped with tourists who wanted to see the place where Champion Will grew up. Business was booming, and Marion was getting used to working day and night to replenish and deliver the treats.

Once everything cooled down, she could take her father's Swanna to the Pokémon League. Until then, she would just talk with him through video chats.

After she finished tying the complicated bow, Marion walked over to her laptop, preparing to set up a video call. Will said he would be free for a chat, which was becoming a rarity these days. She understood. It must not be easy to be Champion of a whole region.

She tapped the number into her laptop, waiting for him to pick up. He didn't. Marion shrugged. She'd just wait until he called her. In the meantime, she had some things to do.

* * *

"Eeehh! Sorry for not replying to your call Marion! Lyds wont stop trying to take my title from me, and I'm constantly training to make sure she doesn't and-"

"It's fine Will," Marion cut in. "I'm just glad to hear your voice again."

Will scratched his head. "Seriously though, I'm sorry I haven't been able to talk with you since I became Champion. There's a lot more responsibilities than I imagined, and while Iris and the others are guiding me, it's still a lot."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Marion asked.

"Not really..." Will said. "Just a lot of public appearances n'shit. I need to practice some more before my battle with Lydia again tomorrow."

"Well, I'll be here if you ever need a shoulder to lean on," Marion promised.

"Say, I'll have some free time in about a week or so. How about we meet up?" Will suggested. "Somewhere in Undella or something. I'll text you some details. Lyds'll be there too."

Marion's heart jumped. "That sounds great! I'll be free whenever so just tell me when!"

Will smiled. "Well, I've got to go now. Pretty busy and all/"

The call ended, leaving Marion staring at the blank screen. She scratched her head. Undella Town, huh? It'd be busy in the middle of the summer, but it'd provide good cover.

The thought of traveling made her nervous, but Marion pushed it back. She wanted to see Will again, so she'd simply have to power through it.

* * *

Her bulletin board was depressingly empty.

It was an odd thought that had popped into Marion's mind one day. She had been lazily staring into space when the notion came to her. Apart from a calendar and a couple pictures of her and Will, there was nothing on it apart from some small, colourful pins.

The whole thing made Marion feel upset for some reason. Shouldn't she have more experiences to fill it up with? She would be an adult. As a teenager, Marion realized she hadn't done much more than work and spent lazy days on Village Bridge with her pokemon.

She had enjoyed spending her days like that before. Now, she wasn't too sure about what she felt about her past actions.

Maybe she should take some pictures when she leaves to meet with Will in Undella Town.

* * *

_Where is he?_

Marion looked down at her feet, anxiety bubbling up in her. What if he didn't want to see her anymore? They hadn't talked since the chat, and Will just texted her some details. She tightened her grip on the white package in her hands. This one was filled with macarons that she had painstakingly made herself.

Her father had been kind enough to lend her his Swanna to fly down to Undella, so it wasn't a long trip. Marion still felt nauseous the entire ride with motion sickness and nervousness though.

She searched the crowd again, looking for him. Where was he?

"Marion!" a familiar voice yelled. "There you are!"

Marion spun around, seeing a familiar head of bright green hair hidden under a black hoodie. "Will!"

Will ran up to her, sweeping her up in a massive hug. He wore sunglasses and inconspicuous clothes, likely to hide his identity.

"William!"

Another girl ran up to him, wearing a similar hoodie and sunglasses. Her wavy blue hair was tied into a low ponytail secured with a purple ribbon, and an annoyed look was on her face. She frowned, and hit Will's arm.

"You've got to be careful!" she hissed. "If anyone figures out who you are, we can kiss this afternoon goodbye!

She shook her head, and turned to Marion, holding out her hand. "I'm Lydia. It's good to finally meet you."

"R-right!" Marion stuttered. "I'm Marion. Will's told me a lot about you."

"Really?" Lydia said, sending a pointed look at Will. "What exactly?"

"Just how you're an amazing rival!" Will replied quickly. "Now uh, Marion! Are those some Mitford treats I see?"

Marion nodded, holding out the bag to him. Will snatched it up, opening the bag. "Woo! Macarons! Thanks Marion!"

He spun around to face Lydia, holding out the box. "You're gonna love these Lyds! Marion's sweets are the best!"

"I wouldn't say the best," Marion mumbled, twisting a strand of her red hair. "My father's still better than me."

Lydia took one of macarons, taking a delicate bite. Her face softened. "I don't know Marion. These are quite good."

"Oh uh, thanks..." Marion said, looking down at the ground. Blood rushed to her cheeks, turning them as red as her hair. "I'm glad you enjoy them. We should get going, no?"

"Right!" Will yelled. He snapped his fingers. "I want to show you all the awesome places Marion! You'll love Humilau City! They have these sea salt taffy things that are incredible!"

"Trust me, Will'd know," Lydia laughed. "He downed thirty of those things in one sitting when we were there. I'm impressed he didn't get sick."

"I have a cast-iron stomach," Will bragged. "Marion would always test her recipes on me after all."

"Oh come on, most of them worked!" Marion protested. "Besides, I never forced you to. I'd ask if you'd want one, and you'd shove ten of them in your mouth at once!"

"What can I say? I like treats."

All of them laughed, and Marion felt them slipping back into the familiarity of each other's presence, like Will had never left in the first place. It was nice, and Marion realized she had dearly missed.

"So, where are we going first?" Marion asked once she finished laughing.

"Well, it's kinda busy here, so how about we go north?" Lydia suggested. "There are some nice cliffs from what I've heard."

"Sounds fun!" Will chirped.

Together they wove through the tight crowds, holding onto each other to ensure they couldn't get separated. With determination, they pushed through the packs of people until they reached the edge of town. There, the amount of people milling about thinned considerably.

Once they reached the cliff face, Marion tapped her chin. The face was covered in jagged rocks, and no trail. "How'll we get up there? There's no footholds we could use."

Lydia smiled. "I can help with that."

She pulled out a polished ultra ball, opening it to reveal a large, blue dragon pokemon. It had sharp blades extending from it's arms, and a yellow cross marking was on it's thick head.

"Garchomp, can you help us climb up there?" Lydia asked.

With a nod, Garchomp gestured for all of them to get on. With a few well-placed jumps, they reached the tops of the cliffs. Both Lydia and Will hopped off, laughing. Marion tentatively got off, trying to ignore the shaky feeling in her legs.

"Nice Garchomp!" Will laughed, patting the pokemon's head. "You're as strong as always!"

Garchomp stared at him, his eyes narrowed. Will let out another laugh, this one more nervous. "Still don't like me too much, huh?

Dropping his hand with a sigh, Will turned his attention to below. "Isn't it an amazing view?"

Marion nodded, watching the waves gently lap the surface of the Undella beach. Tourists and natives alike swam in the waters below, while others basked in the warm sunlight on the beach. She could even see some people decked out in scuba gear, no doubt preparing to search for the Abyssal Ruins.

"You know, this reminds me of the time we fell into the water at the Humilau Gym," Will suddenly said. "Remember that?"

"How could I forget?" Lydia laughed. "We were both so pissed that Marlon made us battle him together. It's a miracle we even won."

"Aw c'mon, we make a good team!" Will teased. "Recall the time we beat the crap out of some thugs in Virbank who tried to mug me?"

They both laughed, getting caught up in the stories of the times they met up. The stories were about their numerous battles and traveling plights, and while interesting, there was nothing Marion could add to the conversation. She instead turned her gaze down to her black flats.

"Anyways," Lydia said, "Got any good stories from the bakery Marion?"

Marion's head snapped up. "Yeah, a couple. When Will and I were kids, he thought that in order to make a cake, all you had to do was put an egg into the microwave."

"Marion!" Will shouted, scandalized. "How could you expose me like that!?"

"Not my fault you were a dumb five year old," Marion said. "I was pretty dumb too. Remember the time I tried to swim across the lake because I was too impatient to wait for the boat to come back?"

"You nearly drowned," Will finished, shaking his head. "Alan had to jump in and save you."

Lydia shook her head. "Well, we were all dumb as children. It's inherent."

"Fair enough," Marion conceded. "Now, how about we head back to Undella? I'd like to see a few shops here and there."

"Sounds good to me," Lydia replied. "I'd like to check out some stores as well."

* * *

At the end of the day, Marion had had a good time. There was a lot of shopping, and Lydia got to meet Emilie and Andres. She then showed off her team to Marion, who had been in awe at all the powerful pokemon she had.

She had a good time, and it appeared that Lydia and Will had too.

"Today was fun!" Will laughed. "I had a good time!"

"I did too," Marion said. "It was nice meeting you Lydia."

"Nice meeting you too," Lydia drawled. "I'll be sure to visit Village Bridge for sweets sometime."

"I'll be sure to call you sometime Marion!" Will promised. "We need to hang out more."

"Yeah," Marion agreed. "I know you're busy a lot now, though. Must make things hard to schedule, huh?"

Will laughed, "Yeah, we should!"

Marion nodded, hope rising in her. With their reunion came renewed hope that their relationship would remain as strong as ever. While it was shaky, Marion hoped that everything would remain fine.

What she didn't catch the odd look Lydia shot Will when Marion brought up his busy schedule.

* * *

"Ugh, this isn't working!"

Marion flopped on her bed, massaging her temples. Three test batches later, and her new recipe still wasn't working. Alan had given her tips, but something was missing.

Her hand crept to her laptop, considering what to do. She stopped halfway, and shook her head. Will would be busy like always. There was no use in bothering him with her own issues. He was stressed enough already, and she didn't want to compound on his problems.

So much had changed.

_What would've happened if I had gone with him?_

The question flitted through her mind, leaving Marion to fantasize at the path not taken. Frankly, she had no idea what would've happened. In any case, she probably would've bogged him down, and Lydia would've become Champion instead.

_Still..._

She thought of all the places Will had told her about, all the things he had gotten to experience. All while she stayed in the comfort of her own home, working the same monotonous day over and over again.

Her mind returned to her conversation with her father that day. Was he right? Did she always put other people's happiness above her own? Was she really just too scared to leave the normalcy Village Bridge offered her?

All of this was too confusing to Marion. She needed some fresh air.

She opened the door to her bakery, Andres and Emilie by her side and a blanket under her arm. The sun had long since set, leaving all of Village Bridge to be lit by the dim yellow glow the streetlights gave off.

Once she got off the bridge, she turned left to the small park where the tennis courts were. After she smoothed the blanket out on the grass, she laid down on top of it, looking up at the stars above. Andres and Emilie took a seat beside her, admiring the view.

Stars of all colours decorated the skies, creating constellations that Marion easily identified. Astronomy had been Will's father's passion, and she recalled all the times he would get them into his old rowboat and take them across the lake to watch the stars from there.

Nostalgia swirled in her, creating an indescribable emotion in her chest. For the first time, Marion pondered about the past, and what she could've changed with a simple decision. She pulled Emilie and Andres closer to her, all of them snuggling up.

Emilie had joined them when Marion was six and Will was seven. Her mother and Will's father had taken them out to catch a partner together. They ran into a pack of small rufflet's, and Will fell in love. He snuggled with all of them, and the result was that one followed him home that day. She had discovered an Emolga on top of tree branches, and her mother captured it for her.

Andres was from her uncle for Marion's fifteenth birthday. Without her knowing, her father had called him, asking to trade a Milcery for any Unova pokémon. Will was in on it, and Marion recalled being impressed that he managed not to tell her, considering his track record when it came to keeping secrets.

What would've happened had she been into battling like Will, or even coordinating? What future would've been in store for her?

Her eyes grew heavy, and Marion fell asleep, thoughts of all the different futures she could've had filling her dreams.

* * *

As time passed, the doubts swirling in Marion's mind began to return. She brushed it aside, rationalizing it as she always had. She and Will were childhood friends, right? Even if he was busy all the time now, they were still good friends.

He's just busy, Marion told herself as Will's calls became few and far between.

He has Champion duties to tend to, she told herself as Will's replies to her text messages became curt and sparse.

It's probably me, she told herself as she found that Will wasn't texting much anymore.

He's not always going to have time to talk, she told herself as Will stopped calling her altogether.

Everything was fine.

...Right?

* * *

"Marion! You've grown so much in the past two years!"

Marion grunted as she was lifted off her feet by her uncle. "It's good to see you too Aaron."

Aaron grinned, and set her back down on her feet. He slapped Alan's back in greeting. "Nice to see you too big bro! Been too long since we've seen each other!"

Behind Aaron snaked in Aunt Ingrid and Marion's cousin Chloe. All of them carried large bags behind them. Marion and Emilie swept them up, and promised to take them to their rooms. In reality, this was more of an excuse for her to leave. Not that she didn't like her family, but Chloe was a ten-year old whirlwind.

She dropped Aaron and Ingrid's bags off in the guest bedroom, then placed Jason's next to the pullout couch. Chloe would be staying in her room, so Marion saved that one for last.

As soon as she reached her room, Marion ditched the bag next to the pullout bed, and flopped onto her computer chair. She looked down at her X-transceiver, and tapped Will's number.

_This number is no longer in service._

Marion frowned. That was odd. She turned to her computer, and opened the chat. It was gone. Will's account was deleted, with nothing left behind to show for it. Emilie had the same confused expression on her face, and shrugged when Marion looked at her.

Feeling sick to her stomach, Marion shut the computer, and walked back down to the living room, where the rest of her family was. She took a seat on the couch next to Alan, and Chloe gave her a cheeky grin.

"So Marion, I've heard that you're best friends with the Champion!" she teased. "What's it like between you two?"

Marion bit her lip. "It's complicated. I'm... I'm not entirely sure anymore."

This clearly wasn't the response Chloe was expecting, and she faltered slightly. "Oh! Sorry."

"It's fine," Marion replied, but the sick feeling in her stomach worsened.

Alan spoke up. "Will's lived here since he was young. Heck, I recall him asking Marion to travel with him."

Chloe gave Marion a questioning look, and she scratched her neck. "Yeah. I decided against going with him. I wanted to work at the bakery, and I wasn't into traveling back then.

She looked off into the distance. "Sometimes I wonder what it would've been like to see the world with him.

Marion then shook her head. "Sorry. Forget my ramblings. How's Galar been lately?"

Chloe erupted into a cheerful explanation about the upcoming Gym Challenge that was going to begin in a month or two. Everyone quickly forgot about the deal with Will, apart from Marion.

She looked down at her lap, mulling over the events that had occurred as of late. Something odd was going on with Will, and she was sure it wasn't something good.

Was he trying to distance himself from her?

* * *

Marion spun a pencil in her hand, a bored expression on her face. With fall brought a chilly breeze in the air, and a dip in the temperature. It also wrought a lack of tourists. Due to that, it was cheaper to have shorter hours compared to summertime.

She gazed out her window, watching some of the children play on the bridge. Their faces were aglow with enjoyment, chasing after each other with handfuls of dead leaves.

At one point, Marion may have considered putting on her coat and running out to join them. Now, with her being far older, it would be seen as eccentric. Then again, it was probably her own conscience pulling tricks on her, telling her that everyone would see her that way.

It seemed maturing also brought a lack of self-confidence.

Emilie flew into the room, landing on Marion's desk. She gave Marion a bright smile, and Marion laughed. "Hello Emilie. What brings you here?"

Emilie grinned. She spun around, revealing a small package strapped to her back. Marion laughed, untying it. "Andres and Father put you up to this, didn't they?"

Emilie gave her a sly look, and giggled. Marion tore open the small package, revealing the measuring spoons she had recently ordered off the internet. Each one was decorated with a little design of emolgas. It was an impulsive buy, but Marion couldn't resist.

With a grin, Marion said, "Thanks for bringing this to me Emilie."

Emilie hummed, and jumped into her lap. She curled up into a ball, preparing to take a nap. Marion watched with a happy smile on her face.

Right. She always would have Emilie and Andres by her side. That would be fine.

With that, Marion steeled herself. Even if it were just once, she could have a spine. She would talk to Will, and get to the bottom of this whole mess. She had stood up to him as a child before. She could do it now.

As if on cue, her dad's voice floated up from downstairs. "Marion, you should get down here! There's this big interview with Will!"

"There's been a whole lot of interviews lately!" Marion shouted back down. "What's with this one?"

"He's got a girlfriend or something!" her dad yelled back.

A cold pit formed in Marion's stomach. "What?"

"Just come on down!"

She raced down the stairs, and sat down on the couch to Alan. On the television was Will and Lydia, sitting next to each on one of the popular news channels. They were both smiling brightly.

"So Lydia, how did you and Will end up together?" the reporter asked.

Lydia twisted a strand of cyan hair around her finger, looking down at the floor. "Well, it took a long time. We've been rivals ever since we met at Celestial Tower. Ever since then, we battled every time we crossed paths."

"Let's just say that happened a lot," Will continued. "We got to know each other better over time. It turns out we had a lot in common!"

"Even after he became Champion, I kept on battling him," Lydia said. "That mutual competition helped both of us grow as individuals."

Marion clenched her fists so hard, her knuckles turned white. Andres and Emilie were watching her worriedly as they awaited her reaction.

The reporter said something, but Marion didn't quite hear it. A loud buzzing had filled her head, blocking out most of the noise around her. Her hearing came back into focus when Will spoke again.

Will grinned at the camera. "What I like to do in my spare time? Well, I enjoy spending it with people I care about. It used to be mostly my family, but now I have a girlfriend to do that with too."

Lydia placed her hand over Will's, and they both smiled at each other. Marion's blood boiled.

Robotically, she jabbed one of the buttons on the black remote. The screen on the television flickered to black with a beep, leaving the room in silence. Alan didn't speak a word. After a few minutes of pure silence, Marion finally broke it.

"So that's how it is," Marion said evenly. "I see now."

_You said we would be friends forever._

_It seems I'm nothing but an afterthought in the end._

* * *

Marion stared at the bulletin board in her room. Most of it had pictures of her from her youth, each depicting a treasured moment. More than half of them contained her and Will.

_Was it something I did?_

Pressing her lips together tightly, Marion moved mechanically as she took all photos with Will in them off her bulletin board. When she was done, she placed them in a cardboard box, and slid it under her bed. One day she'd pull them back out, when the memories weren't as painful.

Will decided to forget about her.

She'd do the same.


	4. 04: Time

"Alright. One chesto berry tart will be 100 pd sir."

The man handed her a bill, and Marion clicked her neatly-trimmed nails on the cash register, opening up the bottom. Her bored eyes skimmed over the amount of change needed, and she placed it in the man's hands.

"Have a nice day."

The man walked off, tart in hand, and the next customer stepped up. Marion began to ring up the order, her mind wandering. Andres hopped by her, carrying empty plates to be delivered to the back of the kitchen. Emilie was soaring around, delivering orders.

Time continued on like this throughout her entire shift. Once the day wrapped up, Marion walked up the stairs to her room, and promptly collapsed on her bed. She rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling.

Tomorrow, she'd wake up early, help make sweets, and work at the store again.

Maybe it was a bit sad, but this was her life now.

Everything changed one day.

It started off the same, with Marion manning the register for the day. With the sunset came the number of customers dwindling, and it was almost time to close up for the night.

Marion had just finished ringing up a customer when another quickly stepped up. "What would you like to order?" she asked dully.

"One of Marion's famous macarons please."

Marion's head shot up, looking at the customer. "...Lydia?"

"In the flesh."

Lydia had changed since their last meeting. The ponytail and ribbon were gone, replaced by white sunglasses settled atop cascading waves of cyan hair. Dressed in a blue dress, black jacket and boots, she looked far more stylish than Marion did her work uniform.

"It's nice to meet you again," Marion stammered. "I know it's been awhile, and we only met once-"

"No need for the pleasantries," Lydia interrupted. "How are you?"

"Very good," Marion stuttered. "What kind of macarons would you like?"

"Caramel," Lydia said. "Have you really been working here all this time? I thought you would've gone off elsewhere at some point."

Her tone was incredulous, and something in Marion snapped.

"It may be hard to believe, but not everyone goes out traveling." Marion muttered. "Some people just want to live a normal life."

"Woah, sorry," Lydia said, holding up her hands. "I didn't mean any offense."

Marion sighed. "No, it's fine. I've been in a sour mood lately."

An uncomfortable silence fell over them as Marion finished slipping the macarons in the box. Lydia's worried gaze remained affixed on Marion.

"Will's been doing fine," Lydia finally said. "He should be returning from Hoenn soon."

"That's great," Marion said stiffly. "I'm sure he had a great time there."

Lydia sighed. "Look, I'm not entirely sure what the hell happened between you two, but I'm guessing it was pretty bad."

Marion raised an eyebrow. "Oh? I thought Will would've told you, with the two of you dating and all."

"You were always a touchy subject," Lydia replied. "Will didn't like talking about it."

"I would assume he would," Marion muttered. "Seeing that he cut me out of his life."

"...What?" Lydia said. "What do you mean, 'cut me out?'"

"He deleted all forms of contact he could've used to talk to me after weeks of silence," Marion said sharply. "Happened not too long after our little meeting."

"He deleted them because someone doxxed his phone number," Lydia said. "Didn't he ever tell you?"

"Nope." Marion muttered. "Here's your macarons. Have a nice day."

Lydia rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Nope. You've piqued my interest. What was it that happened?"

"None of your business," Marion snapped. "Look, even I don't know what happened. Ask your boyfriend."

"More like ex," Lydia replied. "We broke it off a few months ago."

Marion blinked. "Really?"

"It wasn't going anywhere," Lydia said, waving a hand. "We both decided we were better off as friends."

Marion pressed her lips together tightly. Lydia seemed to notice her tense stance, and her expression softened.

"How has life here been lately?" she asked.

"Good," Marion muttered. "Just living with my father and pokemon."

Lydia nodded. "Why don't we exchange numbers? I've been needing someone to talk to lately."

Marion bit her lip. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she did need a friend. "Sure."

Marion flicked her laptop open, signing into her account. It had been a week or two since Lydia had given Marion her phone number, and they talked occasionally. She quickly pulled up her video chat, clicking on Lydia's icon. Within a few seconds, Lydia's face was on the screen.

"Ah! Nice to see you again Marion," Lydia said, setting down her pencil. "How was your day?"

"Same as usual," Marion replied. "You know, working at the bakery with Alan and the others. How about you?"

"Good," Lydia replied. "Will's been staying around here lately though. I'll be in the middle of doing paperwork, and then he just waltzes right in to say hello."

"Oh!" Marion said, unsure on how to respond. "So uh, paperwork! What do you do as a job?"

Lydia grinned. "Oh, the paperwork was just some forms. I work as a trainer on Area Ten in Black Tower."

There was a note of pride in her voice, and while Marion had no idea what Black Tower did, it sounded cool. "I'm guessing you enjoy it there?"

Lydia nodded. "It's a lot of fun, and it keeps me on my pokemon on our toes. Plus, it's decent pay."

"That's good!" Marion said. "I've just been working at the bakery this whole time...

She trailed off. "I don't know. I'm thinking I should try to find something new lately."

"Well, what do you like?" Lydia asked.

"There's reading I guess," Marion said. "And spending time with Andres and Emilie. Maybe I'll search for a nearby book club or something."

Lydia nodded. "It's good to-"

She was cut off by a familiar voice ringing through the speakers. "Hey Lyds, sorry for being back so early! I think I left my bag here. Have you seen it around anywhere?"

The door behind Lydia began to open, and Marion's heart skipped a beat. Her fingers stumbled over her keyboard. She caught a flicker of green hair just before the call ended, and she was left staring at a blank screen.

Marion sighed, placing her head into her hands.

_I still can't face him..._

Marion's shoes crunched on the autumn leaves that decorated the sidewalks of Lacunosa Town as she made her way through the sleepy streets. Andres rode on her shoulder, and Emilie was floating alongside her.

Upon reaching the squat, blue building, Marion pulled the flyer she had tucked into her book. It confirmed she was at the right place. She walked up the front porch, reading the white door.

She held up a hand to knock on it. Her hand stopped in midair, hesitation building inside her. Marion lowered her hand slightly, the ever-familiar feeling of nervousness blossoming in her stomach.

Emilie nudged her shoulder. Her expression was stern, and Marion swallowed. Raising her hand again, Marion forced herself to knock on the door.

There was a shout, and a couple pattering footsteps came from the inside. The door opened, revealing a girl with bright pink hair swept into a messy low bun, loose strands framing her face.

A wide grin split across her face. "Are you here for the book club?!" she trilled.

Marion would've taken a step back had Emilie not pushed her forwards. "Oh, uh, yeah I am. It's nice to meet you?"

"Name's Elizabeth, but just call me Lizzie!" Lizzie hummed. "It's always great to meet a new member! Come on right in, we'll be starting in a couple minutes!"

She grabbed Marion's wrist, and dragged her into the house. Inside was a group of three people, all holding books. All of them were engrossed in a deep conversation.

"So, that's why I think that those Gym Challenges in Galar are one giant front for advertisements. I mean, _what is with that cape!?"_

"I think you're looking too deep into those theories Joey," one of the members sighed.

The other one nodded in agreement. "At this rate, we'll need to find you a tinfoil hat."

"You got to admit, it makes total sense!" Joey yelled.

Lizzie clapped our hands, gaining their attention. "Everyone, welcome our new member...

She trailed off. "Oh whoops! I forgot to ask for a name!"

One of the guys in the group groaned, slapping his forehead. "Seriously sis? We've talked about this. Did you drag her in?"

Lizzie laughed weakly, and Marion decided to step in.

"My name is Marion Mitford," she said softly. "I like romance books. I hope we can all get along."

"Romance novels?" another one of the members asked. "What book is your favourite?"

Marion looked down at her dog-eared copy of the book she brought. "Days in Sunnyshore."

The member clapped her hands excitedly. Her brown hair was trimmed into a bouncy bob, and she wore casual clothes. "Hey! I loved that book! What was your favourite part?"

"Probably when Alexia and Gavin got locked in the Lighthouse overnight." Marion answered.

"Hah! That was a great part!" the girl laughed. "Name's Elena by the way."

"Everyone should probably introduce themselves." one of the members added. "I'm Ryder."

"Maybe I should invest in nametags," Lizzie mused. "Especially since I sent out a pile of flyers everywhere."

"I'm impressed those flyers even worked," Joey muttered. "Half of them ended up getting eaten by your bidoof."

Lizzie threw her book at her brother, clocking him in the head. "Come on big bro! You're so mean! Bibi was hungry!"

"Her Bidoof _ate_ the flyers?" Marion hissed. "Is that healthy?"

"Her Bidoof is terrifying," Ryder muttered, his voice quiet. "I think it could do anything it set it's mind to."

Elena shuddered. "How about we get back to the main topic? I'd rather not talk about the hellspawn any longer."

"All of you are so mean to Bibi!" Lizzie whined. She sat on the couch. "Regardless, Elena is right. We're here to discuss the book we were reading!"

Joey rubbed his head. "Lizzie, neither of us finished the book. We can't exactly discuss it yet."

"I mean between the two of you, you've only ever finished a grand total of ten books." Ryder muttered. "We've been stuck like this for months. This club has regressed to social hour."

"Shh! Don't say that right in front of the new recruit!" Lizzie whispered.

Marion surmised that this was going to be an interesting club to be in. What had Emilie gotten her into?

"So Marion, how has life been going for you lately?"

Marion paused from eating her slice of chocolate cake. She looked up. "Good Dad. Book Club's been a bit busy. We've started a new book to read together."

They never did finish that last one. Lizzie and Joey had decided it was for the best that they started a new book with Marion there.

And there was the fact that none of them remembered what went on in the book, since it had been so long since any of them had read it (or never finished it in Lizzie and Joey's case).

"Well, I'm glad you're getting out more," Alan hummed. "You seem to be in better spirits than usual."

Marion scratched her cheek. "I guess so. I've finally been doing something lately, so maybe it's that."

"Change is always good," Alan agreed. "I've been talking with Mr. and Mrs. Fleur lately. You remember how they moved a year ago, to Humilau? They mentioned how the change of pace was refreshing."

"Ah, I see." Marion replied, having grown quiet. "I'm guessing they're doing well?"

"Yup! They've opened up shop there, and business is going well. We talk from time to time." Alan rambled, "Apparently, the Marine Tube is incredible! If you go at a certain time of day, you can see a Wailord!"

"Really?" Marion said, interested. "Huh. Maybe I'll head there sometime then. Sounds fun. I don't really have anyone to go with though.

She tapped her chin. "Maybe I'll ask the book club."

"Argh! Why is this so hard!?"

"You've just got to be patient Lydia."

Lydia sighed, looking down at the boiling pot of sugar. "I don't get how you do it Marion. Pokemon battles, I can handle. But this? Not my thing."

Marion looked up from the apples she was in the midst of slicing, and gave her a smile. "It'll all be worth it when the apple crisp is finished. Homemade caramel sauce has nothing on the store bought stuff. Besides, if you're having trouble, Andres can help you!"

Lydia smiled back, before looking down at Andres, who was sitting next to her on the counter. She patted his head. "Well, you are the caramel swirl style. I'm guessing you're practically an expert on this."

Andres rubbed his cheek, an embarrassed smile on his face. His gaze quickly flickered back to the pot, and he tapped Lydia's arm frantically. Lydia turned back to the pot of caramel, and cursed.

"Right! Keep on stirring!" she muttered.

Marion laughed, and spread the apple slices over the crisp. "Thanks for taking some time out of your schedule to see me. I appreciate it!"

"I haven't seen you in person for a while," Lydia said. "Besides, I wanted to give baking a try. Doing it with a friend is far more fun than on my own."

"That's true!" Marion agreed. "I always enjoy myself more when I'm baking Andres, Emilie or Dad.

A nostalgic smile spread across her face. "Even Will would join us every now and then. He was actually pretty good at baking when he put his mind to it."

Lydia stopped her stirring for a minute. "That reminds me. Will's been asking about you lately."

Marion stilled. "That's nice. Does he know that we talk?"

"Don't think he's caught on yet," Lydia said. "Unless you want me to tell him."

"Oh no, it's fine," Marion said. "He can figure out on his own."

She missed the pointed look Lydia shot to Alan.

In the end, the apple crisp had turned out excellent, and Lydia ended up taking it home. Alan had insisted on taking pictures of them, and as embarrassed as Marion was, Lydia was game. Afterwards, Marion spent some time outside, watching ducklett's swim across the water below the bridge.

Her thoughts turned to Will. She'd tried her hardest to forget about him in the past two years, but he always cropped up in conversations from time to time. At first, she'd avoided the topic altogether, but now things were changing.

Marion tapped her fingers against the railing, trying to rationalize her thoughts. He'd cut her off two years ago. Lydia had seemed confused when Marion mentioned that part. Did he never tell her? What was the story there?

Now sufficiently confused, Marion groaned. Damn her thoughts for confusing her about everything that happened! The two of them were no longer friends, and that was that!

"Wow! The Marine Tube is so... aquatic-y!" Lizzie hummed, spinning around the tunnel.

"Of course it's going to be aquatic Lizzie!" Joey chastised. "It's underwater!"

Marion herself was caught up in the incredible sight of the sea waiting outside the Marine Tube. The tube itself was dim, lined with violet and sea-foam green lights. It cast a cool glow over the tunnel, and illuminated the outside, which was filled with dozens of aquatic pokemon.

The frillish and jellicent had caught Marion's attention in particular, with the two different forms each had. The pink ones were easy to see, with them standing out against the dark backdrop. The blues were more difficult to see, but were just as interesting to watch.

Emilie was just as excited about the new sight, soaring up to the top of the tube to examine the pokemon that swam there. She clung to one of the lights, watching a wailmer swim over the tube.

Ryder scratched his head. "Do remind me, what does this have to do with books?"

"Well, we were reading 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, no?" Elena said. "It sounded like a fun group activity when Marion brought it up.

She giggled, and pulled out her camera. "Besides, this way I can get some great photos!"

Having finished arguing with his sister, Joey pulled out a brochure. "By the look of things, the Wailord comes between three and five p.m. It's currently two-fifty, so we should hurry."

"Let's go then!" Lizzie shouted. "The Wailord awaits us!"

She took off running towards the end of the tube, Bibi following close behind. With a shout, Joey ran off after the two of them, brochure still in hand. Marion quickly shoved her camera into her pocket, and she followed Lizzie's path through the packs of tourists. Elena was still distracted by the sights, and Ryder grabbed her arm, forcibly dragging her behind him.

Lizzie came to stop right near the end of the tube, where a deep trench awaited beneath their feet. A shiver went down Marion's spine as she looked downwards. The trench was over sixty feet deep, and despite the reinforced tube, she still felt unsafe.

Ryder plastered himself on the glass protecting them from the ocean, a shout escaping his lips. "Guys, it's coming!"

Marion watched, her jaw slack as the Wailord began it's graceful ascent over the tube. All of the gathered tourists dissolved into a cacophony of 'oohs' and 'ahhs' as they watched the Wailord lazily swim.

Elena held up her camera, the shutter snapping away. Her brown eyes sparkled as she watched the Wailord move, and she seemed determined to capture every moment of it on film. Ryder and Joey were both in awe at the sight.

Lizzie herself was having a good time watching the sight when someone tapped her shoulder. She turned. "Yes! What is it?"

"M-miss! Is that your Bidoof!" the tourist stuttered, pointing behind them.

Everyone looked down to see Bibi gnawing on one of the lights. Small indentations were already forming on the lights where she gnawed against it. Lizzie laughed and picked Bibi up, ignoring it's attempts to wriggle out of her steel-clad grip.

"Oh Bibi!" she trilled. "You've got to be more careful~!"

Marion simply stood there, gazing at the rings. "Isn't that made of iron?"

"I told you that thing is the spawn of Giratina," Ryder muttered. "We should hurry up in here before it decides to eat through the entirety of the Marine Tube."

With time passing quickly, Marion returned to the place of her memories.

She placed her hands on her hips, looking at the numerous pictures on her bulletin board. Unlike before, it was now decorated with the pictures of friends she had made, and the things they had done together. From the time they went to the Marine Tube, to baking with Lydia, all the moments were special.

But there was one piece missing.

A soft smile gracing her lips, Marion pulled out a box from under her bed. She tenderly opened it, revealing the pictures of her and Will. Immediately, a nostalgic feeling washed over her, recalling the times spent with him.

Over the last two years, she had pondered what went wrong. In the end, she concluded it was both of their faults. She wasn't quite sure what influenced Will to lie and cut her off.

In the end though, Marion supposed she was also suffocating. She had clung to Will like a lifeline, too nervous to form bonds with people other than him.

Regardless, these photos represented a treasured time in her life. The days spent rowing on the lake, playing tennis on the courts, or even stargazing. They were important to her.

With a few pins, her bulletin board was now complete.

"Hey Marion?"

"Hm? Yeah Dad?" Marion replied, her attention focused on filling some tart cases.

"What would you do if you met Will again?"

Marion paused. "I don't know exactly. For the longest time, I would've probably just ran in the opposite direction.

She shrugged. "Now though, I'd probably just try to talk to him. I don't know."

Alan nodded slowly. "I see."

"Why are you asking me this?" Marion said suspiciously.

"Just curious. Got any other events coming up?" Alan said.

Marion bit her lip. "Well, there's this lunch with Lydia in a few weeks. I'm looking forward to that. I've never been to Humilau in person, so I'm excited for that.

She shook her head. "Enough about me though. I need to get back to these tarts."

A flutter of curses escaped Marion as she ran out of the Marine Tube. She shoved her X-transceiver back into her purse, her aqua flats slamming awkwardly over the sandy beaches. Lydia would surely be waiting for her at the restaurant.

"Oh all the times to be late." Marion muttered.

Running around the corner, Marion crashed right into someone. The force was enough to knock her down to her feet, the contents of her purse spilling out. Marion cursed again, and began sweeping items back into her bag.

"Oh crap! I am so sorry!" a male voice yelled.

Marion's hand paused, her stomach dropping. She knew that voice very well. Quietly, she turned her head up, meeting Will's gaze.

If possible, he had grown even taller over the last two years. His green hair was sideswept, and he wore a casual brown jacket over a striped shirt and jeans. He too appeared to be in a hurry, but froze upon meeting her gaze.

"Marion." he breathed.

Marion quickly got to her feet, having finished collecting all her items. "I-it's good to see you again Will. It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

"Oh, uh, it has!" Will replied, his voice stumbling. "Two, three years? I'm not sure. Time passes fast these days."

"I'm sure it does," Marion answered awkwardly, not knowing how to respond. Her mind raced a mile a minute, trying to think of what to do.

_Okay, I just need to hold a conversation for five minutes, then I can run away. Forget closure, this is awkward._

"What brings you here anyways?" Marion rambled, tucking a strand of red hair behind her ear. "I came to spend time with a friend. Been trying to get out more these days, you know? Are you here to see your parents? Battle someone?"

"No? Lyds invited me to lunch." Will said.

_That little- She set us up!_

"Same here." Marion muttered.

"Ah," Will murmured. "That makes sense. No wonder Mom and Dad practically pushed me out the door."

"Well, I guess we should head towards the restaurant?" Marion said. "I'm guessing Lydia is waiting for both of us there."

"Right!"

Both of them walked down the beach, an awkward silence filling the air. Marion kept a firm gaze down at her feet, preferring to look at anything but Will. Will eyes were firmly set at the horizon.

Finally, Will sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Look. I'm going to stop beating around the bush. About what happened before-"

Marion held up a hand. "It's fine. We were headed on our separate paths. I understand if I suffocated you in any way."

She heard Will sputter. "_Suffocated? _Marion, if anything, you were the only one who supported me the whole way there. I enjoyed spending time with you!"

Marion's grip tightened on her bag. She stopped in her tracks, finally meeting Will's eyes. "Then why the hell did you cut me out of your life!? I get if you wanted to get away from me, but there's no damn reason to lie to my face about it!"

"I..." Will started. He sighed, and placed his hand on his forehead. "You're right. I have no reason to lie. I listened to the wrong people, and the stress of everything got to me.

"What I'm saying is that I acted like colossal jerk to cut you out that. It was completely wrong of me, and I regret ever doing it." Will said, kicking at the sand.

He shook his head, and looked Marion right in the eye. "I'm so sorry about everything. What I did was terrible. If it's alright with you, I'd like to start over."

The two of them had both stopped now. Marion didn't answer, instead watching the waves gently lap at the shore.

What happened two years ago had stung badly. Even now, Marion looked back on those few months with a tinge of bitterness over what happened.

However, the other part of her missed the times she spent with Will. From the nightly video chats to childhood memories, she couldn't deny that Will was someone important to her.

Piece by piece, they could fix their broken relationship.

She took a deep breath, and looked at Will in the eye.

"Well, I guess we can start over."

Marion smiled, and held out her hand. "It's nice to meet you. My name is Marion Mitford. I work on the Village Bridge at the Mitford Bakery, and attend the Lacunosa Book Club in my spare time."

Will looked caught off-guard for a second, but then smiled. "My name is Will Fleur. I was born on the Village Bridge, and I enjoy challenging trainers everyday, looking for new challenges."

They shook hands, and Marion felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

"Now I believe that we've got a lunch to attend." Marion said.

"And a certain blue-haired girl to interrogate." Will added.

"And a certain blue-haired girl to interrogate." Marion agreed.

_-Three months later-_

Marion was never meant for greatness. She was terrible at battling, and she had no coordinating skills to speak of. However, she was content with that, perfectly happy to spend time baking and reading.

Even if she wasn't good at any of those skills, she loved Andres and Emilie with all her heart, and they did the things they loved. So what if she couldn't battle or coordinate? She was good at baking, and could help her father run their family bakery.

Staring at her bulletin board, Marion felt content with her life. Even if things weren't the same as before, she and Will were fixing their relationship. She had some new friends in the form of Lydia and the book club. She was happy with where she was.

The sound of notification from her computer caught Marion's attention. A single text from Will.

_You free sometime in a few days? I was wondering if you'd like to check out the new bookstore in Opelucid with me. I heard there's an opening sale._

Marion typed her answer.

_I'd be happy to. Does Sunday afternoon work?_

Will's reply came a few seconds later.

_Of course! Meet you at the bakery!_

Marion grinned.

_-Fin-_

* * *

**Woohoo, I finally finished something!**

**In all seriousness though, this plot bunny has been on my find for awhile, and I'm glad to have finally written it. Then again, I wrote all of this without an outline in mind, so I'm probably going to clean parts of this up someday. This story went through a whole host of different versions, so I'm glad I got one I'm mostly happy with. May tweak the last scene in the future (Can't lie, it changed 3-4 times before I stuck with this one).**

**In the end though, thanks for reading Afterthought! I hope you enjoyed it!**

**~Book Mage~**

**EDIT [05/14/20]: True to my words, I edited it a bit. If you're coming back for a second read, I hope you like the tweaked version.**


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